Paint-remover and process of making the same.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FRANCIS x. GOVERS, OEOWEGO, NEW YORK.

PAINT-REMOVER AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

Specification oi Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application filed October 28, 1907. Serial No. 399,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS X. GovERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owego, in the county of Tioga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Paint .Removers and Processes of Making the Same and I do hereby declare. the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to paint removers and processes of making the same, and consists in a paint and varnish remover comprising a phenol derivative or derivatives combined with' thickening means, and, when desired, with one or more other paint and varnish softening or removing substances, as hereinafter mentioned; and my invention also consists in, the process 'of making such phenol derivative or derivativesand of making a paint or varnish remover comprising such derivative 'or derivatives; all as more fully set forth hereinafter and as claimed. r 4

Phenols and their derivatives, and particularly cresol and its derivatives, have to a marked degree the power of softening or disintegrating paint and varnish.- Phenol and cresol themselves, notwithstanding their possession of this quality, are not well suited for use in paint removers, because they are somewhat corrosiveto the hands, because being faint and pleasant in character), and

being capable-of being thickened by suitable thickening means to a consistency'which makes it COJIVGIHO-llt to apply them and which insures their remz'unulg for a sufficient length of. time on vertical surfaces. These derivatives may be used with or without admixture of other solvent-or paint softening or disintegrating siibstances,

The phenol or cresol derivatives which form particularly the subject-matterof the present invention, may be made by the action a of a strong mineral acid on a mixture" of a the other reaction in bri salt of an organic acid (as hereinafter described) with the phenol (using the term in its broad sense) to be used: The crude product of this reaction of course comprises, besides the said' phenol derivative or ester,

. other rea'ctionrproducts, for example, a salt of the mineral an used'and of the'base of the organic-acid salt used; and the desired phenol derivatives may of course, be extracted from rately therefrom. at for many purposes such separation is not necessary and is not even desirable, such other reaction products serving to give the mass the desired consistency or thickness, and according to the invention. as claimed herein the phenol derivative is not separated from the salt constituting the main other reaction product, the latter being retained to give the desired body or consistency.

' The rocess of the present case comprises, cf, in its most specific embodiment, heating cresol (commercial cresylic acid) with calciumacetate' in about the amounts tion (the calcium acetate may be arlittle in excess).and the addition of sulfuric acid in proportion somewhat less than that equivacut to the calcium acetate (so. as to have no free sulfuric acid in.the resulting'product). This'results in a roduct which is a thickish mass, which ordinarily 3 when made with white acetate (free from tar) is whitish or pinkish'in color, and has about the consistency of athick paste; a consistency which enables it to be spread well in eflicient la ers on any surface, whether horizontal, inclined or vertical. The mass is sufficiently thick so that, if desired, considerable pro ortions of other. solvents or paint or varnis softeners or disintegrators may'be added without makor'i-nclined surfaces. This pasty mass comprlses, as its main ingred ents, cresyl acetate, calcium sulfate, and water.

p'oducts and used sepa-" theoretically required for complete-'combina ing it too thin to remain in place on vertical It contains nothing of aninfl ammable or readily combustible, or of an explosive nature,nor anything subject to decomposition or deterioration 'with lapse of time, and is therefore a very suitable substance to be packaged in its described condition, for retail sale, to be used, when required, either by itself or in mixture with other solvents, softeners or disintegrators.

The preliminary heating of the cresylic acid and the calcium acetate together serves to deacetic acid and a little free acetic acid.

hydrate the mixture in a measure and also to bring about 'a molecular intermixing very desirable for the facilitating of the subsequent reactions. The following will serve as a particular example of the production of the said product: A. 'ilo of commercial gray acetate of lime (finely ground) is heated with. a kilo of commercial cresylic acid for from half an hour to an hour. A half kilo of commercial strong sulfuric acid is then added radually while thefmass is stirred. The resu ting mixture is of a brownish color (due to the impurities in commercial gray acetate) and after cooling has the described pasty consistency, and is almost if not quite odorless, having none of the characteristic cresol odor. It probably consists of calcium sulfate, the excess of calcium acetate (if any), cresyl acetate and intermediate products, perhaps some cresyl- It may be packaged in tin, without corrosion of the metal. The preliminary heating of the acetate and cresol may be omitted; in which case the resulting product is somewhat thinner and has 2 certain minimal amount of unchanged cresol. ltis, however, a good paint and varnish remover. In these products, the calium sulfate and residual calcium acetate, (if any), serve to give body and consistency to What would otherwise be a liquid mass, and tl'ierefore render unnecessary the addition of other thickening or colloiding substances. If, after admixture with this product of considerable proportions of liquid solvents, fun thcr thickening is desired, other tliickencrs may be added; for example, casein (which, since it is not a component of ordinary paints or varnishes, does not, when in solution in cresyl acetate, materially diminish the solvent power of the latter for paints and varnishes as would; a resin, a nitrocellulose, or like coating materials); or lH'llGU of casein other thickening proteids may be used.

Gtlier phenols, as for instance, common carbolic acid, may be used. in lieu of, or in corn nection with, the cresol; but I consider the product made by using; the cresol alone pref ereble. Salts of other organic acids than acetic acid, for exam plc, salts of formic acid, butyric acid, etc, may be used instead of the acetate, forming; corresponding esters; but calcium acetate is well adapted for the purpose, the resulting product being well adapt-' ed l: ribed use; and calcium ac tate adveiiitz e of being the most convenciai SE the reaction a crystalline form articularly suited to give the resulting pror net the desired consistency.

conjunction with, the volatile solvents.

If desired, the phenol derivatives resulting, from the action above described may be extracted-from the other substances present in the mixture, by means of alcohol, for exam- )le, methyl alcohol; the resulting extract being filtered and heated and the alcohol distilled off, leaving as a residue a tliickish liquid, probably consisting mostly of cresyl acetate, though it may also contain some cresylacetic acid. This residue is itself an excellent solvent for many pur )OSGS and may he used as a paint and va-rnisli remover, having added to it, if desired, a colloidine or thickening agent to give it the desired consistency. And with this product may be incorporated other solvents. In the present case, 'however, I do not claim this extracted product, this forming part of the subject matter described and claimed in co )ending application Ser. No. 413,763, filed Fe 1,1908.

For many purposes it will be found better to mix with the paste-like product above rofcrred to, one ormore other solvents orsoften- 0r disintcgrators; for example, some of the wellknown volatile solvents. l or exemple, to the product resulting from the specific exam )lc given above, may be added one and a hal kilos of commercial wood alcohol and a similar quantity of bcnzol. If the resulting mixture is too thin, more or less wax, say 150 grams, may be dissolved in the henzol before the latter is added to the mixture. The wax may be parallin, ccresin, Japan wax, bocswaxor any other commercial form of wax. Ethyl alcohol, acetone or methyl acetime may be used in lieu of the wood alcohol; toluol or xylol in lieu of thc.bcnzol. Phenol others may be used in lieu of, or in (Jr, if the original crude mixture contains free acetic acid, an addition of ezisein may be made in amount neccssary'to take up the free acetic acid, thereby giving additional viscosity; and in some cases I use casein as a thickener. Methyl alcohol being a good solvent for varnish gums and benzol being a solvent for the oxidation products of linseed oil, the original crude mixture maybe altered by the addition of eithcrmcthyl alcohol or benzol or mixtures of alcohol and bcnzol in varying amounts and proportions to suit the particular paint or varnish or mixture of mint and arnish to be removed. I have also found that the mixture of certain waxes, for examplc, beeswax, and a phenol mixed up with calcium acetate and treated with sulfuric acid above described, gives various intermcdiato products in addition to the products obtamed by the treatment of a phenol by itself.

While in a sense the phenol derivatives and the cresyl. derivatives may be used interchangeably in paint and varnish removers and solvent preparations such as above described, in general I prefer to use the crosyl compounds, as I consider them more eflicient for the iurpose; and thereforein the following claims have claimed specifically the eresyl Iriixturesand the process of making the same.

-An advanta eous paint and varnish remover under t e present invention may be made by treating a mixture of calcium ace- Casein is not only a good thickener but, be-

ing a proteid, it diminishesth'e action of any free acetic acid or cresol upon the hands of the user. Some wax is advantageously admixed with the benzol before incorporating the volatile solvents with the pasty reaction )roduet wax not only being a good thickener ut having-t e further advantage of exercising a specific retarding action upon the volatilizatlon of certain mixtures of volatile solvents, such as mixtures of wood alcohol and. benzol.

- Casein and wax are, like the calcium sulfate,-excellent thickeners, but each has in addition speciiic advantages and while they may be separately used, it is advantagwus.

to use both. Vl hat I claim 1s:

.. 1. A paint and varmsh remover comprising a phenol ester, a. mineral salt, a volatile solvent, a proteid and wax.

2. paint and,varnish remover comprising the products resulting from the action of a strong mineral acidupon a mixture of a.

I phenol and .a salt of an organic acid.

3. A paint and varnishremover comprising the products resulting from the action of a strong mineral acid upon a mixture of a phenol and a salt of a l'atty acid.

4. A paint and varnish remover comprising the products resulting from the action of a strong mineral acid upon a mixturc'oi a phenol and an alkaline earthsalt of an organic acid: r i 5. A paint and varnish remover comprising the products resulting from the action of a strong mineral acid upon a mixture of a phenol and an alkaline earth salt of a fatty acid.

6. A paint and varnish remover comprising' the products resulting from the action of a strong mineral acid upon a mixture of a phenol and a salt-oi acetic. acid.

7. A paint and varnish remover comprising the products resulting from the action of a strong'mineral acid upon'a mixture of a phenol and "an alkaline earth salt of acetic acid. r r

8. A paint and varnish remover comprising the products result ingfrom the action of a strong mineral acid *upon a mixture of 'a phenol and a calcium salt of an organic acid.

. 9. A paint and varnish remover comprising the products resulting from the action of a strong mineral acid upon amixture of a phenol'and a calcium salt of a fatty acid.

10. A paint and varnish remover comprising the products resulting from the action of a strong mineral acid upon a mixture of a phenol, a wax,.and a salt of an organic acid.

.11. A paint and varnish remover compris-'- ing the products resulting from the. action of a strong mineral acidupon a mixture of a phenol, a wax, and a salt of a fatty acid.

12. A paint and varnish remover comprising a cresyl ester, a mineral, salt, and a volatile solvent.

13. A paint and varnish remover comprisinga cresvlester, an alkaline earth salt and a volatile solvent.

14. A paint and varnish remover comprising a phenol ester, a calcium salt, and a vola tile solvent.

15. A paint and "arnishremover comprising a cresyl ester, a mineral s'alt,m1d other paint and varnish solvent.

16. The process of making bodies ofsolventclmracterg. which comprises mixing a salt oii an organic acid with a phenol and decomposing with a stronger mineral acid.

17. The process oi, making bodies of solvent charncter,"which comprises mixing an alkaline earth salt of an organic acid with a phenol .and decomposing with a stronger mineral acid,-

18. The. process of making bodies of solvent character, .which comprises mixing a salt of an organic acidwith cresol and decomposing with a stronger mineral acid.

It). The process of making bodies of solvent character, which comprises mixing an alkaline earth'salt of an organic acid with cresol and decomposing with a stronger mineral acid.

20. The process of making bodiesof solvent. character, which comprises mixing a salt of a fatty acid with a phenol and decomposing with a strongei':inineral acid.

2]. The process oi making bodies of solvent character, which comprises mixing an alkaline earth salt of a fatty acid with a phenol and decomposing,with a stronger mineral acid.

22. The processof making bodies of solvent character which comprises mixing a salt of a fatty acid with creso'l and decompos-- ing with a stronger mineral acid.

23. The process of making bodies of solvent. character, which comprises mixingan alkalineearth salt ol :1 fatty acid withlcresol and decomposing with a-stronger mineral acid. I

24. The process 1;, making bodies of sol- 'vent character, which comprises mixing an acetate with a phenol and decomposing with a stronger mineral acid. v i

25. The process ot'makmg bodies of so]- alkaline earth saltwith a phenol and decomposing with astronger mineral acid.

26-. The process of making bodies of 'solvent character, which comprises mixing on acetate with cresol and decomposing with a stronger mineral acid.

27. The process ofmaking bodies of solvent character, which comprises mixing an alkaline earth salt with cresol and decomposing with a stronger mineral acid.

28. The process of making bodies of sol- Vent character, which comprises mixing a calcium salt of an organic acid with phenol and decomposing with a stronger acid.

29. The'process of making bodies of solvent character, which comprises mixing a calcium salt of an organic acid with phenol and decomposing with sulfuric acid.

301 The process of making bodies of sol vent character, which comprises mixing a salt of an organic acid with phenol and dccomposing with sulfuric acid.

31. The process of making a paint and rarnish remover which coinn'ises treating a mixture of a phenol, a salt of a fatty acid and a waxy body with a mineral acid, incorporating a proteid in the reaction product and thereafter incoriorating a plurality of volatile solvents of different ('llGlTllClil character, one of said solvents carrying a dissolved wax.

lntcstimon whereof I. al'lix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS X. GOVERS. Witnesses II. M. MARBLE, BLANGI-IE CARSON. 

